Velocity and acceleration statistics in particle-laden turbulent swirling flows

TL;DR

This study compares velocity and acceleration statistics of particles in two different turbulent swirling flows, revealing similarities that aid in calibrating models and understanding particle dynamics across experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a comparative analysis of particle statistics in experimental and numerical turbulent flows, highlighting universal features despite different boundary conditions.

Findings

Similar scaling properties observed in both flows.

Statistical quantities reveal common features across different flow types.

Results support new methods for model calibration and particle dynamics characterization.

Abstract

We present a comparison of different particles' velocity and acceleration statistics in two paradigmatic turbulent swirling flows: the von K\'arm\'an flow in a laboratory experiment, and the Taylor-Green flow in direct numerical simulations. Tracers, as well as inertial particles, are considered. Results indicate that, in spite of the differences in boundary conditions and forcing mechanisms, scaling properties and statistical quantities reveal similarities between both flows, pointing to new methods to calibrate and compare models for particles dynamics in numerical simulations, as well as to characterize the dynamics of particles in simulations and experiments.